eXplore Lawrence is proud to partner with the American Red Cross for the Missing Types campaign to raise awareness of the need for new blood donors.
This June 11 to July 3, eXplore Lawrence will join the Red Cross and other companies, organizations and celebrities to remove the letters A, B and O – the main blood groups – from its logo and public-facing messaging to illustrate the critical role blood donations play in patient care. Many do not realize how important these letters can be until they are missing from hospital shelves.
“eXplore Lawrence understands the critical importance of blood donation in our community,” said Michael Davidson, Executive Director. “By partnering with the Red Cross on the Missing Types campaign, we hope to raise awareness of the tremendous need and inspire people to give, especially those who have never donated blood before.”
Join the movement
New donors, regular donors, as well as those who haven’t given blood in a while can all do their important part to help fill in the missing types and ensure blood is available for patients in need. Join the international movement – visit RedCrossBlood.org/MissingTypes, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to schedule an appointment to give.
According to the Red Cross, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. But for the past four years, new Red Cross donors have declined by about 80,000 each year. The blood donor population is shrinking, and more blood donors are needed now to fill the gaps. This is not just a Red Cross trend, but it is also a challenge that blood collection organizations face across the country and around the globe. As a result, organizations and companies are rallying throughout the world for the Missing Types movement.
Summer is one of the most challenging times of the year to collect blood and platelet donations with schools that host blood drives on break and many people enjoying vacation and other seasonal activities. Yet patients don’t get a vacation from needing lifesaving blood during the summer months. Blood and platelets are needed for accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease.
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eXplore Lawrence represents the travel and tourism for Lawrence and Douglas County, Kansas. We are dedicated to creating economic development by attracting visitors, conventions and events to our city.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Andrea Johnson at (785) 856-5284 or email at ajohnson@explorelawrence.com.
